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Related Concept Videos

Neurulation01:30

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...
Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...
Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Cleavage and Blastulation01:33

Cleavage and Blastulation

After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
Determination01:51

Determination

During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Stem cell-like Xenopus Embryonic Explants to Study Early Neural Developmental Features In Vitro and In Vivo
11:13

Stem cell-like Xenopus Embryonic Explants to Study Early Neural Developmental Features In Vitro and In Vivo

Published on: February 2, 2016

Cell division during Xenopus gastrulation influences neuroectoderm patterning.

Ian Velloso1, Rodrigo Araujo1, Marko Horb2

  • 1Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitaria, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|May 8, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Cell division is essential for neural plate patterning and anterior-posterior axis formation during Xenopus gastrulation. Blocking cell division causes severe head and trunk defects, highlighting its role in neural regionalization.

Keywords:
A-P patterningXenopus laevisbrain malformationcell divisionmitosisneural plateneural tube anomalies

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Last Updated: May 9, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Morphogenesis

Background:

  • Oriented cell division is a key mechanism in tissue elongation and axis formation.
  • The role of mitosis during gastrulation in Xenopus laevis embryos is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the contribution of cell division to neural plate formation and anterior-posterior patterning during Xenopus gastrulation.
  • To analyze the dynamics and orientation of cell divisions in the gastrulating ectoderm.

Main Methods:

  • Hydroxyurea and Aphidicolin (HUA) were used to inhibit cell division.
  • In situ hybridization and time-lapse imaging were employed to analyze developmental outcomes and division patterns.
  • Quantitative analysis of cell division dynamics in the dorsal mesoderm and neuroectoderm.

Main Results:

  • Cell division is dispensable for dorsal mesoderm patterning and neural tube closure.
  • Inhibition of cell division during gastrulation severely disrupts neural plate patterning, causing head and trunk defects.
  • Key anterior neural markers (bf1, krox20) show reduced expression, indicating failed forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain specification.
  • Cell divisions in the gastrulating ectoderm are abundant and exhibit anterior-posterior orientation, especially in the dorsal posterior region.

Conclusions:

  • Cell division is crucial for early neural regionalization, not just tissue formation.
  • Anterior-posterior oriented cell division is a conserved mechanism essential for neural plate elongation and anterior neural patterning in vertebrate development.